TIRUPATI,
JUNE 15.
District officials of Backward Classes, Tribal and Social Welfare hostels, principals and wardens of residential schools were grilled by the Minister for Social Welfare, D.S. Redya Naik, for their poor performance on various fronts.

The Minister, who was here on a pilgrimage, reviewed the Department's performance for the previous year and sought to know the action plan for the current year.

Mr. Naik, who arrived two hours behind schedule, grilled the officials for over three full hours at the meeting that went on till late in the afternoon. Some exhausted officials and those suffering from illness, sneaked out of the hall.

Mr. Naik observed that the results achieved by the inmates of Social Welfare Hostels and residential schools were disproportionate to the huge amount being spent on them.

Three-fourth of the Department's annual budget, equivalent to Rs. 600 crore, was being earmarked for education to facilitate the under privileged climb up the social status ladder.

Making no bones about the corruption and inefficiency rampant in the Department, Mr. Naik said that people had a "very bad opinion'' on the hostels and there was a need to change this.

He flayed the officials for not taking up surprise visits and inspections of hostels.

While asking the lower rung officials to regularly visit the hostels, probe the attendance records, grocery stock etc. and submit a report on the murky affairs, if any, Mr. Naik wanted the higher-ups to frame charges and initiate disciplinary action on the erring and restore accountability.

The wardens were also told to stay at the headquarters. While he appreciated the SW residential school at Madanapalle for achieving cent per cent results, he had a word of caution for the Piler school, which achieved 53 p.c. pass.

On being told that only half the indented number of text books had been supplied to the hostels, the Minister chided the Deputy Educational Officer present at the meeting.

The tribal welfare officer's failure to give correct figures on the atrocities against Dalits enraged the Minister.

The Tirupati Additional Superintendent of Police, S. Ashok Kumar, later told the Minister that 49 such cases were pending in the district as on Monday.

The DM&HO, Ramakrishna Reddy, was told to ensure steps to maintain sanitation in the hostels to prevent spread of diseases during the ensuing monsoon.

The in-charge Collector, B.Janardhan Reddy, joint director of SW Department, Raghava Reddy, gave the district profile to the Minister.